Padgett appreciates every final trip

By Rick Scoppe-Sports Editor/The Daily News

Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 10:00 AM.

First meeting

Southwest has never played Swain County in the playoffs, a meeting which would only have occurred in the finals since the two teams are in opposite regions. But Padgett said he thought the two teams would meet in the 1989 finals, but the Stallions lost in the East Regional final while Swain County did make it — and won, beating Currituck 35-14.

Currituck beat Southwest 44-14.

“We thought we were going to play Swain,” Padgett said. “Swain had flown two guys down here to exchange tapes. Swain was one of those teams you want to play. We’re playing a great program. I love that. I do.”

Every time Southwest coach Phil Padgett returns to this stage he appreciates it just a little more, especially when he thinks back to his first trip to the state football finals and also reflects on how so many of his coaching buddies who have come up short.

“I’ve got some of my friends that have never gotten there,” said Padgett, whose Stallions (13-1) play defending state champion Swain County (15-0) at 3 p.m. Saturday in the NCHSAA 1-AA title game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

“I look at how fortunate we are to play six times. You just look at Onslow County there’s only two teams that have been to the state finals. … It’s hard to get there. I appreciate it even more now.”

All but one of Southwest’s previous trips were at 2-A, with the first coming in 1999 when the Stallions fell to High Point Central 30-7. The Stallions advanced to the 1-AA final in 2009.

“I know when we first went in ’99 I said, ‘Well, I’ll never go back again. I saw my one time,’” Padgett said. “Since then, we have. Yeah, I appreciate it. It makes me happy for the kids.”

Win or lose — the Stallions are 3-2 in the finals — the 53-year-old Padgett said he’s learned something that helped him the next time around.

“It helps us prepare the kids for what’s going to happen. Each time I get a little bit smarter as far as those kinds of things. And my staff obviously has been with me so long they’ve been there so they understand. So it’s much better each time you go back,” he said.

First meeting

Southwest has never played Swain County in the playoffs, a meeting which would only have occurred in the finals since the two teams are in opposite regions. But Padgett said he thought the two teams would meet in the 1989 finals, but the Stallions lost in the East Regional final while Swain County did make it — and won, beating Currituck 35-14.

Currituck beat Southwest 44-14.

“We thought we were going to play Swain,” Padgett said. “Swain had flown two guys down here to exchange tapes. Swain was one of those teams you want to play. We’re playing a great program. I love that. I do.”

All-Name team

Not only does Swain County have the best team nickname (Maroon Devils), but it has two of the top early entries in the all-name squad among the teams in the state finals.

They are Jacob Wildcatt and Corbin Panther.

Wildcatt is a 6-foot-4, 253-pound senior who wears No. 75 and starts at tackle on both sides of the ball. Panther is a 6-2, 225-pound senior who sports No. 61 and starts at left guard on offense and outside linebacker on defense.

Still, Southwest owns one of the best names for its home field: The Corral.

Rally Devils

Swain County rallied from an early 21-0 deficit to beat Monroe 28-21 last Friday night to advance to the state final — but only after inside linebacker Payton Parker recovered a Monroe fumble at the Swain County 9-yard line with 1:21 left.

“I did it for my team,” Parker told The Asheville Citizen-Times after last Friday night’s win. “They’re like a second family. … It’s a special night. I know we’re going to play our hearts out next week.”

One year earlier the Maroon Devils pulled off an even more spectacular rally, rallying from a 28-0 deficit to beat West Montgomery 37-35 to advance to the finals.

TV time

Time-Warner Cable will televise all the state championship games live this year, and they will also be available on the Internet at news14.com. The 1-AA title tilt at 3 p.m. Saturday between Southwest and Swain County will be on Time-Warner channel 520.

You never know

In 1999, Southwest had what Padgett called a “fantastic” team, but a team that lost in the state 2-A finals to High Point Central.

A year later the Stallions were back in the 2-A finals and won 14-13 over Newton-Conover.

The 16 teams vying for eight state championships in four classifications are a combined 220-13 and include seven undefeated teams. … QB Raymius Smith is only the second player in Swain County HS history to throw for more than 2,000 yards. The other was a guy named Heath Shuler, who went on to make something of a name for himself at the University of Tennessee. … Swain has won 26 straight games and is averaging 46.1 points per game. … Southwest is 1-0 at Carter-Finley Stadium in state finals thanks to its 20-14 win over Burlington Cummings the 2-A title game in 2003. … Southwest was No. 3 and Swain County No. 1 in the final Associated Press 1-A high school rankings.